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Fifteen Diseases
Named as Drivers
Of Health Costs

The cost to treat a handful of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes is driving much of the recent increase in health-care spending, according to a new study.

The study, based on cost data compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from nearly 60,000 patients found that 15 medical conditions accounted for half of the inflation-adjusted growth of $200 billion in health spending between 1987 and...